469: our not-so-big backyard

I still have plenty to dig through backlog-wise, but outside has been so glorious these days with its minute changes; I wanted to pause in celebration.

Here's what's been going on in our yard:

I hadn't seen the ants needed to crawl along the tops of our peonies, but today, as Ryan predicted, one of my favorite flowers burst open. I cannot emphasize enough: I love, love peonies. And ranunculas, which are quite a bit more delicate.

The most surprising and exhausting change is this:


Our rickety four foot fence, the one whose panels got knocked down on a regular basis (see this loving post dedicated to Zephyr's destruction) is being hand-crafted by a former neighbor (here's a set of images of the family, though he isn't in any of the pictures)--six feet tall, panel by panel. I'm not in love with the idea of sheltering ourselves in so closely, but as I grow older, I find myself more and more of a hermit, and after too many bouts of other-neighbor judgment (small towns can be so picky), I'm glad for the added privacy. Really, we wanted something sturdier, and I like that Z won't catch every dog being walked by, every trio of kids, and I won't have to listen to the shriek of teenage girls on cell phones as he pounds his ways into the wobbly gray, patched together, disaster of a fence. It's gone now, a heap of rubble at the end of the drive.


I also wanted to share hopes for my blueberry bush. Ryan got it for me as a surprise--a kind of comfort for my pregnancy, something I'd wished for, but know they need a little extra love and care (unlike my insane raspberry bush--anyone nearby want some runners?). Above is maybe a week ago with the little bell-flowers, and below is today, these bitty blueberries coming through. I can't wait to taste.


Currently reading: Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende, which is about an MIT student who brings his wife to live on an "Amish" (he calls them Minimites) homestead, complete with cash crops, a horse-and-buggy, a home birth, wells and lake ice with sawdust. I'm also trying to take advantage of my slim seven months of freedom left to read books by professors in the program, and I started with Julie Schumacher's The Body is Water and just finished Charlie Baxter's The Soul Thief.

Currently watching: Netflix just delivered Stealing Beauty to appease my urgent desire to travel to Europe; Frida because I just finished reading The Lacuna with my book club (which met last night in Casey's adorable loft and we had delicious vegan fajitas). I've seen both movies, but I've been feeling the need to return. (Next up for book club? Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. They've been picking very good books these days.)

Currently craving: my food cravings haven't wavered so much in this first trimester. I love dairy, particularly (organic) milk and (fancy) strawberry ice cream. I also am craving fruits: apples especially, but any fruit will get me drooling. I'm feeling the need to try a new muffin recipe, or dessert bread, using that fruit I crave. Anyone have a good recipe they love?